Today's harvest

[pepperhead212]

I may have harvested my last greens today (except hydroponics) - I went out to harvest all these because we are supposed to get our coldest weather of the season, teens tonight and Thursday night, well below average into Friday, along with winds to 40 mph. I also trimmed a bunch of the outer sage and rosemary branches, so I could stick a trash can over the sage, and one of the rosemary plants (the first year I grew this variety one uncovered plant survived to 7 degrees). Last season was so mild that I didn't have to do this once!
Mizuna, 1-25 afternoon, after looking dead a few days earlier, after a 21 degree morning. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

12 qt bowl of mizuna, plus a small bok choy and purple napa. 1-27 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Komatsuna, tatsoi, and purple napa. 1-27 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Largest komatsuna, just starting to flower. 1-27 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

All the greens in a 12 qt bowl. 1-27 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

All of the outer branches of the sage plant trimmed off. Small center plant left, to cover. 1-27 by pepperhead212, on Flickr


Bunch of rosemary trimmed off, to cover 1 of the 2 plants in the cold. 1-27 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[larry_stewart]

Nice to still be able to harvest some stuff this late in the season. I still got some parsley, cilantro ( the longest I've ever had one plant last without bolting), and some leaf lettuce ( although it was a mix and I think its some of the other greens within the mix that survived, not the lettuce itself). I also have some baby spinach plants that never quite grew fast enough to harvest, still in their cells.

My rosemary is in a pot, so I got it in the garage the past month or so. I put it outside a few Times when there it rained. The garage is insulated and stays 10 - 20 degrees warmer than it is outside. Got some of my potted figs in there too.

I have some carrots that are protected with row covers. They fall into the whatever happens , happens ...

 

[Vinylhanger]

Harvested these a few evenings ago for cooked greens.

Perrenial kale, some collards and Arugala. These are from last season and some from two years ago. The arugala is from a natural reseed I just let go as an experiment.

The last picture is some kale that was in pots and have now grown through the pots and rooted in the raised bed.

They are from summer 2019. They also were heavily abused. Very little water this summer and over shadowed by other plants. They taste like broccoli.

Perenial kale is fun to grow. Its like an edible monster weed.

 

[bethzaring]

More carrots! Eight pounds here and I gave 3 pounds away.

 

[larry_stewart]

More carrots! Eight pounds here and I gave 3 pounds away.

Great looking carrots. Do you remember what variety they are ?

 

[bethzaring]

Great looking carrots. Do you remember what variety they are ?

4 varieties; Royal Chantenay, Tendersweet, Bolero, and Danvers.

 

[RCJoe]

I'm more of an Orchardist than gardener myself and just wanted to mention that today is National Johnny Appleseed Day.

Where I had an orchard. I realize I could easily trade fruit at the Farmers markets for vegetables. And I also had fruit for my own use.

If you'd like to know more about John Chapman the link below offers information, Disney illustrations from kids movies, and old artist renderings. He was born in 1774 and died in 1844 and was known for traveling barefoot across the eastern USA with a sauce pan on his head for a hat. He planted apple seeds everywhere he went collecting the seeds at cider presses which were everywhere back then. Cider was considered to be a popular beverage that in many places was safer to drink than the local water.

https://americanorchard.wordpress.com/tag/john-chapman/

 

[pepperhead212]

I pulled all of my fall greens up today, as they had all stopped growing, and were just starting to flower. I got an 8 qt bowl filled, with all those small plants, mostly the mizuna.
Last of the fall greens, all started going to seed now, so I pulled them all, most of the 8 qt bowl is mizuna. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I got a bunch more cleaned up today, plus I labeled all of the pots and trays, for planting the tomato, pepper, and eggplant seeds in. Eggplant seeds started last night, most of the peppers on 4-1, tomatoes and a few peppers that grow faster a few days later.

 

[blissful]

I took a peek under our covered raised bed, and we have 1000's of kale, all about 1 and 1/2 inchs round leaves. Baby kale which we'll start harvesting as we eat. Wisconsin.

 

[larry_stewart]

Took off most of my row covers
Kale looking good.
Carrots, Better than usual, just wish I got them in a few weeks earlier so they could have developed more. Unfortunately, got to rip them out to make room for the onions which will go in next week, along with the Leeks and potatoes

Peas hardening in he garage , about 6 inches tall.

Garlic at 6 - 8 inches tall

Finally found seed potatoes. ( Russet, Yukon Gold, Red Norland and Kennebec)

Ramps jus popping up same with the Rhubarb and Hops.

Planted a few strawberries yesterday, to fill in areas where I lost some.

 

[bbqcoder]

Peas hardening in he garage , about 6 inches tall.

What kind of pots do you use for your peas? I've heard that you want to get extra deep ones (5" or more" for them.

 

[larry_stewart]

What kind of pots do you use for your peas? I've heard that you want to get extra deep ones (5" or more" for them.

m not sure of the exact size , but approximately 22 inches in diameter and about 14 inches deep. I usually put a tomato cage in the center and a few plants around the perimeter and they just grow up he cage. I keep it on the patio ( good sun there, and easy picking. Its not the prettiest thing in the world, but I know that in a few months it will get dumped on the compost pile. Also got spinach, beets and carrots in similar pots/ containers own the patio. I've had good luck with the spinach and peas, ok luck with the carrots and not much luck at all with the beets, with is why I dont want to waste space in the main garden with the beets, cause the harvest is often not worth the effort, so I save it for more predictable crops like the leaf lettuce, radishes, arugula, mustard greens.

 

[larry_stewart]

Planted these last September. Not enough time to mature, so threw a row cover over it and they over wintered well. Had to get them out to make room for this years crops, but all in all, not too bad.

 

[blissful]

Planted these last September. Not enough time to mature, so threw a row cover over it and they over wintered well. Had to get them out to make room for this years crops, but all in all, not too bad.

Done good!

 

[larry_stewart]

Done good!

Thanks.

Got lucky, but Ill take it !

 

[blissful]

Thanks.

Got lucky, but Ill take it !

You deserve it. I think carrots are hard, just to get the germination, and the thinning is usually an issue for me.


Last week a friend sent me a GIFT box of HELLO FRESH, it's a delivery service and they have a veggie option. They had dairy in some of those which we don't use but still, a delicious meal.


It was grated carrots, grated red cabbage, edamame, slightly wilted and hot, with a thai chili sauce and a soy glaze, then some cooked ramen noodles, topped with peanuts. Quite delicious, I really liked it. I'll probably make it without the delivery. It was about $60 worth of Hello Fresh, and I paid less than $12, for extra and delivery (4 sets of 2 meals). Good fun!

 

[larry_stewart]

You deserve it. I think carrots are hard, just to get the germination, and the thinning is usually an issue for me.

It took me 3 consecutive times to get a decent percentage to germinate. By that time, it was late in the season and I knew there wouldn't be enough time too mature before winter kicked in. I put a make - shift row cover to protect them from the winter elements. I remembered years ago from my dad's garden that some of his best carrots were the ones that over wintered and were harvested in the spring, so I figured the the space was just going sit for the winter anyway why not. We didnt have the coldest winter , but in February we got a good 2 - 3 feet of snow which stuck around for the entire month. The row covers worked well for the carrots (and kale too). As for thinning, it sure is a pain in the butt, and I do a Half - A$$ed Job when I do do it . I remember visiting a farm a few years back at an old restored village from the mid 1800's ( kinda like Sturbridge in CT or Old Williamsburg in VA. They maintain farm as it would have been back then. Not sure if we were allowed to actually stroll in the farm area among the crops, but no way I was passing up that opportunity. When I got to the carrots, they were all on top of each other , not thinned at all ( not that I would have expected it on a multi acre farm) and they seemed to be doing just fine. The carrots were huge. Its now used as a CSA farm for the community.


That 'Hello Fresh' Meal sounds good. When off my no carbs kick ( which should be soon) Ill give it a try.

 

[blissful]

Larry, I sent you a coupon link for $90 off if you use them. If anyone wants a coupon, let me know and I can PM you the coupon too.



Sometimes if we don't thin the carrots they grow around and into each other, always very interesting poses.

 

[Vinylhanger]

I haven't had any luck with carrots either. This year I'm slipping them all together.

 

[larry_stewart]

I haven't had any luck with carrots either. This year I'm slipping them all together.

I say that every year ( a long with beets) and my wife reminds me every year of what ive said in the past, but I still grow them ( or at least try to). Ive now limited them to either large containers, or areas of the garden that are basically done for the season. I dont want to give up prime real estate for something I dont have much luck with. The ones that I pictured were my 3rd attempt at germinating them for the season, and due too that, got such a late start that I had to protect them from the winter elements. they survived and probably my most successful carrot attempt. Ill do the same next year ( even though I vowed never to grow them again).